


The Long Way Home

by TheNightComesDown



Series: The Pacific - Love Heals [6]
Category: The Pacific (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, United States, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-08 06:28:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17381378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNightComesDown/pseuds/TheNightComesDown
Summary: After more than 2 years with Company K, Sledge and Snafu are headed home.





	The Long Way Home

The train chugged lazily along the track, passing through quiet town after quiet town. Landscapes changed as the hours dragged on, from the dark greens of southern California to the arid, rocky wastes of Arizona. Eugene Sledge leaned his forehead against the glass and counted the Saguaro cacti as they came into sight.

“I heard they can grow over 30 feet,” Sergeant Burgin had said when Snafu had first pointed one out earlier that morning. 

“Bullshit,” Snafu had replied, leaning over Sledge to get a better look out the window. “Only trees can get that tall.” Sledge had remained silent, choosing instead to think about home. It had been more than 2 years since he had seen his family, but in his memory, it felt much longer. 

Most Marines had gone home by this point, but the men of K/3/5 had remained overseas to pick up the pieces of the battle on Okinawa, and had then been shipped to Peking, China. Now, in 1946, they had finally been relieved of their posts, and those men who lived in the south had boarded the train for the long ride home. 

“Sledgehammer,” Snafu said loudly, pulling Sledge from his thoughts, “you hungry yet?” Sledge’s stomach was decidedly empty, and had been growling for the better part of 45 minutes. 

“Sure am,” he nodded slowly. “Down to the dining car, then?” Snafu bobbed his head up and down, mimicking Sledge’s thoughtful nod with a smirk. Sledge rolled his eyes and threw his hand out, smacking Snafu’s arm playfully. As Sledge stood, Burgie strode down the aisle of the train car. 

“Well, fellas,” he said, smiling wide, “there are some mighty fine gals sidled up to the bar down the hall there,” he motioned toward the dining car, “and I’d wager that either of you gentlemen could make a friend, now that you’re all cleaned up.” Snafu looked Sledge up and down, nodding as he did so. 

“You might be right ‘bout that, Burgie,” he said. “Once you pick all the fleas off and scrub the blood outta our knuckles, we don’t look half bad!” Sledge and Burgie laughed, and followed Snafu toward the dining car. The three were dressed in neatly pressed green slacks, as well as brown dress shirts and ties to match. The 1st Marine division insignia, a red “1” in a blue diamond, was sewn neatly onto their left sleeves. Although they had been wearing such uniforms for several days, it still felt unusual to wear something other than the thick green dungaree uniform that had been their usual during their time overseas. 

They found an empty table in the dining car, and Burgie offered to grab a few bottles of beer from the bar. Sledge slipped into a chair beside the window, and Snafu was halfway into the seat beside him when he caught the eye of a lovely brunette across the way. Sledge followed his gaze and snickered as the woman gave Snafu a slight wave. 

“I think I might have to go talk to her,” Snafu said, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his breast pocket. “Here, pull one o’ these out for me, I’ll be back in a minute.” He raised his eyebrows in a sly smirk, and made his way over to the woman. Her brown dress flattered her slim figure, and her hair was tightly curled at the base of her neck. Sledge felt a sharp tug in his chest as Snafu walked away. 

Jealous, are we? a voice in Sledge’s mind asked. 

“Of course I’m not,” Sledge muttered under his breath. “Why would I be jealous of a friend meeting a cute girl?” The thought died on his lips as he watched Snafu’s eyes roam up and down the woman’s body. 

“Hiya,” Snafu smiled, “I’m Merriell Shelton.” As the woman’s red-tinted lips curled into a reserved smile, Sledge felt his heart drop into his stomach. “I’m Merriell Shelton. How ‘bout I take you to the back of the train and you can show me your caboose?” The woman’s face dropped, and Snafu’s stupid grin only got wider. She slapped Snafu across the face and stomped off down the train. A man in Naval uniform at the table across from Sledge’s chuckled as Snafu raised a hand to his stinging cheek. Not failing to see the comedy of the situation, Sledge shook his head as Snafu approached the table, watching the woman retreat with wonder. 

“Feisty,” he wondered, shaking his head. Burgie was close behind him with three brown bottles in his hands. 

“Snafu just got pinked on the train home,” Burgie observed, setting the drinks down on the table. “Funny how not a single girl since San Diego has taken well to that line.” Sledge slid a bottle towards Snafu, and set to sipping at his own beer. He gazed back out the window, not hearing a word of his tablemates’ conversation. Presumably a waiter came by to take their lunch order, as food was brought to the table a few minutes later. 

“Ordered you a steak, Sledge,” Snafu said, tapping lightly on Sledge’s hand, which was wrapped around his bottle. “Peas and potatoes, too.” Sledge looked up to see Burgie and Snafu eying him expectantly. 

“Thanks, Snaf,” Sledge nodded, pasting an empty smile on his face. Burgie shrugged at Snafu, went back to sawing at his own steak. Snafu waited for Sledge to look up from his food, but realized after a minute that Sledge was avoiding his eyes. They ate in silence, and after finishing his last scoop of peas, Sledge excused himself to the lavatory. 

He walked slowly at first, but sped up as he felt his breath catch in his throat. A dry sob threatened to escape, so he hurried into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. It stopped several inches short of the wall as Snafu slipped his boot in the gap. 

“Sledge, let me in,” Snafu said firmly. Sledge kicked at Snafu’s boot in an attempt to dislodge it and close the door. 

“Move, Snafu,” Sledge growled, his tone a sharp warning. Snafu pried the door open with his knee and pushed Sledge back against the wall of the lavatory. He reached behind himself and pulled the sliding door shut, snapping the lock into place. “Get the fuck out of here,” Sledge choked, his eyes hot with tears. He tried to back away from Snafu, but the lavatory was so small that neither had room to move anywhere else. 

“The hell’s wrong with you, Eugene?” Snafu barked, grabbing Sledge by the shoulders. “You barely said anything all afternoon, and you won’t even look at me. What’s goin’ on?” Sledge’s head snapped up, meeting Snafu’s angry gaze with his own. Snafu’s face fell as he saw the tears in Sledge’s eyes, and he moved a hand from Sledge’s shoulder to cup his face. Sledge turned away, and Snafu let his hands drop to his sides. 

“Don’t touch me right now, Snafu,” Sledge muttered, wiping at eyes with the palm of his hand. “Don’t fuckin’ touch me.” Snafu stood silently, unsure of what to do. He didn’t do well with crying. 

“Eugene,” he said hesitantly, “I need you to tell me what’s—” 

“Do you have to do it in front of me?” Sledge asked sharply. Snafu’s eyebrows knit together. 

“What are you talkin’ about?” 

“Do you have to make a pass at every woman you walk past?” Sledge’s eyes were darker than Snafu had ever seen them. Another tear slipped down his cheek, but Sledge let it fall. 

“I didn’t think you cared about—” Snafu started, but Sledge shook his head, so he stopped talking. Leaning against the sink behind him, Sledge spent a minute taking deep breaths. Snafu watched him helplessly, afraid to put his hands on Sledge’s shaking body. 

“Do whatever the fuck you want when I’m not around, Snafu,” Sledge said finally. “You’ll be off this train tomorrow, and you never have to see me again.” His voice hitched in his throat, and for a moment Sledge thought he might not be able to get his words out. 

“Eugene…” 

“I’m not done,” Sledge said evenly. “Let me finish.” Snafu nodded sheepishly, and slid his hands into the pockets of his trousers. “You can mess around with whoever you want, Snafu, but don’t do it in front of me,” Sledge finished. He tried to push past Snafu, but the man wouldn’t move out of the way. 

“Sledge, back up,” Snafu said, but Sledge tried to edge his way around him. Snafu pushed him against the door, which rattled as his weight fell against it. “Goddamit, Sledge,” he shouted, “I don’t want to be with someone else, I want to be with you.” Snafu leaned in and kissed Sledge full on the mouth. Sledge was still for a moment, but as Snafu slid a hand behind his neck and cupped his face with the other, he gave in and returned the kiss. It was gentle and slow at first, but their passion soon became a quick-burning fire. Snafu loosened Sledge’s tie, and attempted to untuck his shirt. 

“Mer,” he said, responding to Snafu’s urgency, “This is a public lavatory—” 

“Shut the hell up,” Snafu whispered, “I’m sure there’s another toilet.” Snafu started undoing the buttons of Sledge’s shirt, and as his hands touched the skin of his back, Snafu moaned against Sledge’s mouth. He pulled away and kissed his way along Sledge’s jaw. “Mer, I’m going to kill you if you can’t be quiet,” Sledge said, breathing deeply. “This is very illegal, and I’m sure Mrs. Cohen in the row across from us can hear you right now.” Snafu laughed, and leaned into Sledge for another kiss. 

* * * 

A few minutes later, as Snafu buttoned and tucked in his shirt and Sledge combed his hair in the lavatory mirror, a knock came at the door. Both men froze. “Hey, fellas,” Burgie said quietly outside the door, “sorry to rush you, but my coffee from breakfast is catching up with me, and the bathroom in next car over is occupied.” Sledge’s mouth fell open, and Snafu’s eyes were wide with shock. Clearing his throat, Sledge spoke after a moment of silence. 

“Sorry, I’m just washing my face,” he announced, “I was feeling a bit emotional, what with goin’ home and all.” Snafu looked at him, his expression incredulous. He threw his hands in the air, but Sledge could only shrug helplessly. 

“I panicked, it’s all I could think of!” he whispered through gritted teeth. Sledge quickly looked Snafu up and down, gave him the thumbs up, and opened the door. Burgie was leaned against the doorframe, an unreadable expression on his face. “Sorry, Burgie,” Sledge said, “Didn’t mean to keep you waiting. Snafu was just, uh…” 

“Being supportive,” Burgie nodded diplomatically. “Just being a good friend.” Sledge nodded, and after loitering for a moment, hurried down the hall toward their passenger car. Snafu slipped out of the lavatory, but Burgie caught his arm as he tried to slink away. “Corporal Shelton,” he said, clearing his throat. 

“Yessir?” Snafu swallowed, attempting to keep his tone even. Burgie’s face was serious, but his eyes twinkled in a way Snafu couldn’t quite place. 

“I just wanted to say…” Burgie hesitated, trying to choose the right words. “I can’t say I understand what you and Sledge…have, but I’ve never seen two people connect the way you do.” He held out a hand to Snafu, who accepted and shook it firmly. “Don’t let go of it, Snafu. Some people never find the right one,” Burgie said in a low voice. He slid the bathroom door shut, leaving Snafu alone in the hall. 

* * * 

The next morning, Snafu and Sledge shook hands and bid farewell to Sergeant Burgin, who had been their companion since before Peleliu. He stepped down from the train outside of Jewett, Texas, where his father was waiting on the small station’s platform. After the train pulled away, they sat and watched out the window for the rest of the day. New Orleans was the next major stop, and the train was due to arrive there in the middle of the night. Neither Snafu nor Sledge acknowledged the fact that they would be parted from then on. 

Sledge fell asleep in the evening, grasping Snafu’s hand tightly as he had been all day. The train rumbled into New Orleans just before midnight. As gently as possible, Snafu pulled his hand from Sledge’s grasp. He pulled his sea bag from the rack above their seat and slid the strap over his shoulder. He watched Sledge quietly for another minute, not daring to wake him, and made his way down the aisle toward the door. A tear slipped down his cheek as he stepped down onto the last stair. As he stepped down onto the platform, Sledge’s voice rang out behind him. 

“You weren’t even going to say goodbye?” Snafu whipped around to see Sledge standing at the top of the stairs. 

“I couldn’t,” Snafu choked out after an awkward silence. “I knew that if I tried to say goodbye…” 

“You wouldn’t leave me,” Sledge finished for him. The train whistle blew, signalling that the train would begin moving again in a moment. The two stood, unable to move. 

“Mer?” Sledge said softly, just loud enough for the man to hear him on the platform below. 

“Yeah, Sledge?” he asked, gulping back the bile at the back of his throat. 

“Come home with me, will you?” Sledge said, reaching a hand out. “There’s nobody waiting here for you. Just come with me.” A burst of steam came from the engine of the train, and the wheels slowly groaned to life. 

“Sledge, I…” Snafu’s voice wavered, and he quickly glanced at the stationmaster, who was hollering the last call to board. 

“Merriell, get on,” Sledge urged him, his eyes filled with fear. “It’ll be fine. Just come back to Mobile with me. It’ll be alright, just get on!” The train was pulling forward now, and Sledge was out of view; in a moment, it would be going too fast for Snafu to catch it. Suddenly, Snafu’s feet started moving, a slow walk becoming a jog, and before he knew it, Snafu was back on the train, safely tucked into Sledge’s embrace. Snafu was crying, deep sobs wracking his body. Sledge pulled the sea bag from his shoulder and threw it onto the floor beside him. He clutched Snafu tightly and held him as he cried. After a few minutes, the outburst had subsided, and Sledge led Snafu back to their seats. 

“Did you know I was going to get back on?” Snafu asked, resting his head on Sledge’s shoulder. 

“No,” Sledge murmured, “but I hoped you would.” Snafu nodded. “Did you know you were going to get back on?” Sledge waited for an answer for so long that he thought Snafu must have fallen asleep. 

“Of course I did,” he said, his voice filled with surety. “I told you. If I had to say goodbye, I wouldn’t be able to leave you.” Sledge kissed the side of Snafu’s head, and they were both asleep in minutes. If anyone had walked past their seat, they might have thought, “They must have been through a lot together,” and nothing else. 

When they reached Mobile the next afternoon, Sledge’s childhood friend and neighbour, Sidney Phillips, was waiting on the platform. He hadn’t anticipated a second passenger, but there was room in the boot of the car for both sea bags. Snafu held out a hand to Sid, and Sledge made the introduction with a grin. 

“Sid, this is Merriell Shelton, my mortar partner and good friend.” Sid shook Snafu’s hand enthusiastically. “Mer, this is Sidney Phillips, my best friend growing up. He served with the 1st Marines at Guadalcanal and Cape Gloucester.” 

“Nice to meet ya,” Snafu said, smiling. “Bet you’ve got all sorts of stories about Sledgehammer as a kid.” Sid laughed, eying Sledge as he wrapped his head around the nickname. 

“Well, ‘Situation Normal, All Fucked Up,” Sledge said, taunting him in return, “Sid’ll have to save those stories for another day. I hear this fella’s got something to tell us about a certain girl from Mobile!” The three loaded into the car and slowly made the drive to the Sledge residence. When they stepped out of the car at the end of the drive, Sledge promised Sid that he would be by in a few days to catch up more. After another minute, Sid turned the car around and drove off toward his own house down the lane. 

As Sledge stared down the drive toward his house, Snafu reached out and grasped his hand. 

“Doesn’t feel real, does it?” Snafu asked. Sledge shook his head and breathed a deep sigh. 

“I’ve completely changed…but everything here is the exact same.” Sledge squeezed Snafu’s hand tightly. “Maybe my dad has greyer hair, or my mom’s found a rug for the foyer she likes better than the old one, but…” 

“I know,” Snafu said simply. “I know.” After another moment, Sledge released Snafu’s hand. They slung their bags over their shoulders, and walked toward the house together.


End file.
